Commemorative ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe

The commemorative ceremony for the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe took place at the Palais des Congrès in Strasbourg on 1 October.

The ceremony was marked by speeches delivered by Council of Europe leaders and prominent European figures, including Mikhaïl Gorbachev, Former President of the USSR, and José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission. Video messages from former Czech President Vaclav Havel and the astronaut of the European Space Agency Frank De Winne were screened.

The ceremony, attended by ambassadors from member states, members of the Parliamentary Assembly, City officials, as well as staff members, concluded with the preformance by Alexander Rybak, Winner of the 2009 Eurovision Song